Ubeo Blog

How Printer Standardization Can Improve Your Business

Printer standardization is an important process for every company, but sadly few have the expertise to standardize fully. Printer standardization refers to a process of print environment optimization with the ultimate goal of increasing efficiency, enhancing workflow, and cutting costs. Every company needs printer standardization to some extent.

Why Printer Standardization Works

Whether you choose a managed services provider or standardize your print environment yourself, it's crucial to understand the goals and implications of the process. Here are a few steps to take along the way.

Assess

Your IT department probably has a few stories to tell when it comes to improving your print environment. They'll know where the bottlenecks in your system are, which printers are lemons, and which devices are under or overused. Take this information and consolidate it, as well as do some additional research. Are any of your machines out of date? Are any of them costing you too much money? Define your current print environment down to the supplies you keep, and then move forward to planning.

Plan

Next, it's time to plan your upgrades and optimization. If at all possible, take tasks away from the IT department to alleviate their load. Decide which machines need to go and how you'll replace them, and try to consolidate your printers to a standardized brand and supply-ordering chain. You're looking for ways to reduce costs and ease strain, as well as how you can speed up workflows. This may mean reworking some printing and document flow policies.

Optimize

Finally, once your system is in place, it's time to optimize. This is an ongoing process that involves evaluating every change for its effectiveness and tweaking where necessary. Your print environment should be a useful tool, not a strain on your business when you're finished.

For more information about making your business more efficient, contact us.